So we need to start to figure out when we need to hold our gathering at TV. I'm up for early to mid-March if any of you want to wait that long. But Feb 24th is fine with me. I was also wondering if any of you would want to do a crawl to a few of the other tiki.... inspired bars around Dallas (sans Tiki Bob's Cantina) OR would any of the Dallas area ohana wish to open their homes to us so that we could view their collections, creations, home bars and to share a drink.

If I still lived in Dallas I would love for you guys and gals to swing buy. But I currently live in the Lubbock area. But if anyone travels to this site of the state, my door is open for you to come by. Just give me a heads up before hand, please.

I also want non-Texas tikiphiles to know they are welcome to come down as well to help celebrate this exciting event.
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No worries, brother to the north. Kenike is on the guest list for the opening on the 11th. The site isn't loading for me either, probably just server problems. From what I understand, the 11th is a trail run, for the papers and people who want to be there. The true public opening will probably be a week later.

We are thinking sometime in the spring or summer for our meet-up when the weather is warmer and safer for ohana coming from areas were traveling can be hazardous. Details are on the tiki texas board I run. Again anyone is welcome to join in.
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I look in the paper every day for news about TV and somehow I always miss it. Thanks again Hazmania!

Return of Vic's

The resurrection of Trader Vic's is at hand. The owners of Hotel Palomar have restored the venerable Mockingbird Lane tiki emporium and are planning to open the doors to the public Feb. 16. But in the days leading up to the opening, they're having a couple of private shakedown luaus. Invited friends of operators Jeff "Lava Lamp" Berry, Kip "Coconut" Sowden and Rusty "Rat Fink" Fenton will serve as guinea pigs as the staff figures out how to properly place the pu pu platters.

I don't remember what that Ebay tiki looked like. The Moai pictured in the first link (laying on his back) is the original. In that same thread there's a post by TheJab that had some pics he took in 1999 of the Moai when it was still holding vigil in front of TV. The pics aren't there anymore but luckily I saved them:

In the first pic you can see the entrance to TV in front of the Hilton (which is now the Palomar). This area has doesn't look anything like this anymore.